Off-highway vehicles (“OHVs”), such as mining vehicles used to haul heavy payloads, usually employ motorized wheels for propelling or retarding the vehicle in an energy efficient manner. This efficiency is typically accomplished by employing a large horsepower diesel engine in conjunction with an alternator, a main traction inverter, and a pair of wheel drive assemblies housed within the rear tires of the vehicle. The diesel engine is directly associated with the alternator such that the diesel engine drives the alternator. The alternator, in turn, powers the main traction inverter, which supplies electrical power having a controlled voltage and frequency to electric drive motors of the two wheel drive assemblies. Each wheel drive assembly houses a planetary gear transmission that converts the rotation of the associated drive motor energy into a high torque low speed rotational energy output which is supplied to the rear wheels.
Typical operating loads in an OHV may exceed one hundred tons, while the gross vehicle weight and load may be several hundred tons. Indeed, the weight of a single wheel drive assembly can be in excess of ten tons, while the gross weight exerted on each tire may exceed sixty tons. As will be appreciated, it is desirable to provide reliable attachment of each tire/wheel rim to its corresponding wheel drive assembly. Tires are wear parts, however, that require periodic replacement. As such, is it also desirable to provide for efficient removal and replacement of tires from a wheel drive assembly of an OHV. Additionally, all components in an OHV are weight-controlled and it is therefore desirable to provide for attachment of tires to wheel drive assemblies using a low-weight attachment mechanism.